Poker, you game?
by Adja
Summary: Sequel to The Night of Revenge. Read it before! When you decide to get revenge, you have to face the consequences. What will happened to Dick and Mac now?
1. Day After

Poker, you game

**Poker, you game?**

Sequel to The Night of Revenge. When you decide to get revenge, you have to face the consequences. What will happened to Dick and Mac now?

Day After +1

Dick staggered through the living room, only half awake. He knew it wasn't good that he had blanks in the memory of his ride home. He hoped Mac was more awake and she didn't have any trouble driving. He stopped dead in his tracks -well, swayed to a stop- when he heard someone clearing their throat.

He turned to face his brother, feeling so wrong inside, and yet willing not to care.

Cassidy stared angrily. "You happy?"

Dick felt the urge to say yes but just shrugged.

"Bastard."

Dick snorted. "You dumped her, luckily I was there to pick up the pieces."

Cassidy shouted. "Oh, yeah ? So, you took the opportunity to get laid. What a prince. Really."

Dick sneered, starting to walk away. "It was your chance to get laid, dude. You lost it, I didn't steal it. Night-night..."

"It's three!"

"Well, good afternoon then!" Dick yelled at his brother.

He was sorry, he felt horrible, but Cassidy would never know. And he crashed in his room, leaving his brother alone with his pain and anger.

"Fucker." the younger of the Casablancas breathed out, before dropping on a couch, numb.

Mac was leaning on her forearms, sighing her deep boredom and frustration. She had been almost unfaithful. He had done something bad, and she felt horrible that she couldn't bring herself to call it a mistake. The breakup felt less painful from her angle, but her behavior wasn't excusable. Was it?

She had ruined every chance to get back together with Cassidy, and she felt really bad about the fact that she wasn't really sad about it. She just felt sorry for hurting him.

Mostly, she couldn't get Dick out of her head, and couldn't quit wondering if she was just daydreaming about her reputation remaining safe from now on and him being nice to her or not.

"Hey, Mac, bad day?" Veronica dropped beside her friend. "I was surprised not to hear from you." They had met randomly at Dog's beach and Mac had joined for a stroll. Her friend studied her face. "Something's wrong? I thought you were going to spend the week end with Beav-.. With Cassidy."

Mac snorted. "Well, I was... until he dumped me." She didn't like that her throat was tight like that.

Veronica gasped in disbelief. "What?! What happened? Why didn't you tell me?"

Mac sighed, actually she hadn't had time to at first, and she suspected that Veronica was busy with Logan -back again. "I had things to figure out." Also true.

"I'm sorry."

Mac took a deep breath. "You know what? I don't ever care! I'm happy for you, though."

The perky blonde eyed her. "Why?" she asked, innocently.

"Right, like you stuck in a lip lock with Logan is totally missable."

Veronica blushed and nodded. "It's great. Thanks."

"So, why are you here?" Mac asked. She came here to think, to mope. She saw no reason Veronica should be hiding out. "I thought you usually came here with Backup."

"Oh, Logan's coming here with Dick, catch some waves and all."

Mac turned pale. "Oh, _they _are coming? I should go then."

Veronica frowned. "Why is there a problem with Dick?" He hadn't been the nicest guy ever, but... "Oh, I get it."

Mac turned to Veronica, startled. Was she so easy to read? "It's because it reminds you of Cassidy, right?"

Mac stood up, relieved. "Yeah, that's it..."

"Hey, beautiful, what are you doing? You came early." Logan pecked Veronica's lips. Dick jabbed their boards in the sand.

"I was planning on swimming a bit, but I saw Mac. She just took off."

"Oh." Logan sat and started nibbling at her shoulder.

"Mac was here?" Dick wondered aloud.

Veronica looked up at Dick. "Yeah." She eyed Logan. "Did you know Beav-... Cassidy dumped her again, at the party."

"Oh, shit!" Logan chocked. Dick sat, silent. "Dude, you knew ?" Logan wondered at his reaction.

Veronica shrugged, she figured he had talked to his brother.

Dick nodded response. "Yeah, well... He's stupid. He didn't deserve her, anyway." Logan eyed his bff suspiciously. Dick went angry. "What ? Poor girl's been dumped twice by my poofter of a brother. And you know why this time?"

Veronica gasped at his anger.

"Because this fucking fagot couldn't get it hard! He turned it out on her. I bet he cumed all over himself before he cou-... Pff..." The others stared in disbelief.

He felt bad being mad and felt also like betraying Mac's secret. He knew it wasn't her fault and probably thanks to him she knew it too, but maybe she felt like it was her that couldn't arouse him. "Hey, don't tell her that, ok. You're... not supposed to know."

"Kay."

He punched his bff's arm. "Dude, let's ride those waves."


	2. Do Stupid Things

Poker, you game

Day+7

"I wouldn't have guessed you were the 'let's go catch a movie' kind of guy." Mac stated, playing with the edge of the empty pop corn bowl.

Dick frowned, walking out of the theatre with her. "Am not so much. It was just.. you know, a girly thing, figured you'd like..." he trailed off as Mac chuckled.

"Transformers? A girly thing? I felt like watching Power Rangers with my brother!" Dick looked sheepish and she laughed harder. "It's was ok, really."

"I would have taken you home, but.."

She cut in. "No way I'm going there."

He met her eyes, of course not, she was Beav's ex, and though it has been a week now... "Freakin war out there..."

"Sorry." Dick grinned to lighten the mood. He didn't even know if he was on a date, but he got that feeling. He wanted to smile. Fuck the baby bro. He'd got a break from summer school and wanted to spend it with her. She was just so much fun, you know, even without the... touchy feely things.

"Hey, not your fault." He never saw so far as three months ahead, and surprised himself thinking it would be easier if they both were already on campus at Hearst. _If _he got in.

He dropped on a stool at the complex's cafeteria and she sat beside him, he could see that she wasn't relaxed. "Can I ask a dumb question?"

She looked up from the carton bowl. "Hm?"

He bit his bottom lip. "The other day, on the beach, V said you were there. Why d'you leave?"

"I.." she searched for her words. "Would you have been like all cool if I had stayed, like... 'oh hey, hi! What's up since the last time I didn't talk to you?'" She blushed. "I mean, I would have been _so _embarrassed."

He grinned. "Got your point. I figured that was why you left. V said it was because I reminded you of Beav, and Logan said it was because we both were too hot for your eyes."

He felt the tiny sting feeling when she smiled, her nose wrinkling the cutest way.

"I didn't want to meet you with them around. I didn't even know how were things between us."

Dick perked up, waving at the waitress. "And how are they?"

Mac smriked. "Still remains to be established." He nodded. The movie had been cool, but awkward. He'd wanted to feel her up all the time, cause hey, guy, you know. But he wasn't sure that was what she wanted. The poker analogy could still continue. They weren't playing the poker they'd talked about but, still.. the bluff, the way to let the other guess or make his/her move... totally poker for him.

"You regret it?" He met his eyes.

"Yes and no..."

He ordered two cokes and looked back at her, knowing she was all stressed out by the conversation. "What's the yes?"

She looked down at the table, probably finding the oak fascinating. "I guess, that's the revenge part that's been bothering me."

And the almost unfaithful stuff too. He narrowed his eyes, a grin quirking a side of his mouth. "So, you liked the poker game?"

She didn't answer. He didn't need it, though because the blush on her cheeks said it all, and when she looked up he gave her the sexiest grin he managed. "Let's keep playing, then..."

Day+9

Mac was climbing up the stairs, along with Veronica and Wallace, cursing against stupid people who don't know how to work elevators and broke them. _I hope they're stuck in it!_ They were heading to Logan's suite, the stake out Veronica had planned had gone short since Lamb had, for once, done his job, and she wanted to get back something she'd left at the suite. And maybe spend some time. The other had tagged along, since Logan had welcomed them.

Still, if she had know there would be stairs, Mac might not have shown up. "Sorry to bring that up..." Wallace started. "I heard you and Cassidy broke up."

She eyed him. "No secret. You don't have to cover for Veronica."

The blonde chuckled.

Wallace smirked. "Actually, I asked her... Cause... as rumors travel fast, I heard the craziest things about the 'why'."

Mac exchanged a look with Veronica, the latter quickly looking away, remembering she wasn't supposed to know. "Yeah? Such as...?" the blonde girl asked, curious.

"Oh, some way it's because Mac ditched him for Dick."

She burst into laughter and Mac forced a smile to hide her rising sense of panic. "Who said that? It's nuts!" _Thanks, Veronica._

Wallace came closer and wrapped a friendly arm around Mac's shoulder. "Shelly said... to actually everybody that was there at the time... that she saw you and Dick at the bar... at a time you should have been with Cassidy."

Mac grinned. "And by that time, I was probably already home."

"Yeah..."

Wallace laughed to himself. "It's not even the funniest part."

"Yeah?" Veronica's eyes were sparkling.

"I wish you were there to see Madison throw a fit when a girl _swore_ she'd seen Dick with a brunnette at the Riverside Mall yesterday, at a coffee shop or something."

Veronica was crying with laughter, and Mac was wondering whether the hard time she was having breathing was because of the climbing or the urge to run and hide.

"Please, let's talk about something else. Especially since it involves me and Madison in the same context. It just feels wrong."

Veronica giggled. "Right. You and Madison, like me and her, actually, are like oil and water... not to be associated."

"Or some other explosive mixtures..." Thinking about nitroglycerin, Veronica sped up her last steps and knocked.

She gasped and took a step backward when someone she wasn't expecting got the door. Dick's head pocked out and seconds later, the door flew open. "Dude, hot girlfriend over here!" he called out.

Mac prayed for earth to swallow her, but nothing came. Logan came and they got in.

"Wha-...what are you doing here?" she asked, sounding stunned, but careful not to whisper. It would have been too odd.

Logan, who had a beer can in his hand, hugged his bff's shoulder. "Dick joined the team. He didn't explain much, said something about home being a freaking battlefield. We're having the great bachelor life now."

He bended to Veronica and pecked her lips. "Chicks, hooch, girls, xbox,.. oh, and chicks."

Veronica swatted his arm. It wasn't the chick thing, more the 'bachelor' stuff.

"Cool..." Mac uttered bending to pass under Dick's raised arm. Wallace followed her, oblivious -or he understood it his own way- to Dick's look at her.

She leaned on the balcony and sighed. _I have to calm down. It's not odd, it's a game. I'm not feeling guilty. I'm not at all panicking. Me and Dick only had two dates... or maybe not even dates... cool down, Mac-Attack._

Wallace appeared by her side, watching the view. He eyed Dick and back at her. "People can say the stupidest things."

She watched him, a thankful smile spreading on her features. "Totally."


	3. Poker Faces Off

Poker, you game

Day+10

Mac's hand were flying above the keyboard. It was always an impressive thing to witness. "Here, I'm done."

Logan leaned over her shoulder.

"All set, all bug and trojan free."

He pecked her temple. "Su-weet."

She chuckled.

"Open bar for you missy..."

She grinned at the offering but shook her head. No thanks. The last time she drank... well, you'd just have to ask the tall figure spread on the sofa, a TV magazine on his chest, eyes closed as he was sleeping.

Veronica closed the book she had been attempting to read with a heavy sigh. "I do declare... prereading sucks."

Logan gave an appreciative nod and closed his laptop. "Well, guys, I may have an idea to lighten your mood."

Wallace looked up expectantly. "Card game?" He slapped his book shut with a smile.

"Money?"

Veronica chuckled as Logan went pale. "You crazy, I want to keep my fortune. Maybe another time, when Veronica isn't here." Mac grinned. V was kick ass at every card game you could invent.

"Dude." Logan threw a tennis ball -that had been resting there, on the living room's table, god knows why- at Dick, who growled, showing he wasn't asleep since he had almost caught it in flight. Dick raised a brow at his bff. "Hm?"

Logan raised his chin. "Poker?"

Mac bit her bottom lip, looking at the table with attention, until she heard Dick clearing his throat by her side. She looked up to find him giving her a quick grin and he dropped on the seat next to her. Oh fate. She rubbed her face to hide her own grin.

"You're peeking!!" Mac yelped, hiding her cards.

"Am not!" Dick protested, looking as innocent as possible, which he couldn't manage that much.

She just pouted at him, giving the urge to jump her and catch those lips. _Dude, what did she do to me?_

He just wanted to touch her every time. Like, every single fucking second.

"Do not cheat, Dick." Logan cut in, trying to peek over Veronica's shoulder.

Wallace sighed. "Am I the only one actually playing by the rules?"

Mac fished her vibrating cell. "Yep, you are..."

She frowned at the caller ID. _Luvah. I really should change this. _She hadn't yet, cause she didn't know into what. Dick seemed wrong and well, busted if someone checked out the callers IDs. _"Do too, but not at what you think." _She blushed, looking down her tank top. _Oh._

She texted back, quickly and pocketed her cell. _"Stop that, this is actual poker."_

She looked up to find Veronica studying her, she realized she was grinning and shrugged. "My brother... I think he laid his hand on my mom's cell again."

Logan grinned, and Dick uttered an ironic "Right." which no one thought of attributing to the text message he'd just discreetly read.

Mac blushed deeply when Dick's knee went brushing her leg and cleared her throat. "Who's turn?"

Wallace watched them as he played and sighed, leaning further in his seat. _The strangest things._

Day+15

Logan ruffled his hair, looking around the place for his ringing cell phone. He found it under a pillow in the sofa and picked up. "Yeah, Dick ?" he greeted simply, dropping on the couch. When was he going to wake up from his freaking nap induced haze.

"_Lo, ya alone?" _

"Yup."

He heard Dick's sigh. _"Sure?"_

He frowned, since when his bff didn't trust him? "Absolutely. What's up?"

He ran a hand in his hair again, and hoped his feet on the coffee table. _"Dude, can I trust you with a secret?"_

Logan sat up, startled. "Sure, Dick. You're asking freakin' dumb questions."

"_Even from Ronnie?" _Logan winced. Not sharing something with the cute little blonde that stole his heart was something really hard. Had he done something stupid? _"Dude, be cool."_

Logan knew his friend, he had something important to say if he was making all this mystery. "Yeah, ok. Tell me."

"_No, this isn't something to say. But to show. I'm on my way, see ya in a sec."_

Logan didn't have the time to agree, Dick had already hung up. He frowned, and stood up, coffee needed. He was making it when he heard a knock at the door. He went to open it, getting more confused by the instant. "Dude, why are you even knock-..."

Logan trailed off at the sight. Dick was there, obviously. Surprisingly, so was Mac. But the most disturbing thing, the thing that knocked the wind out of him, the thing he couldn't process and yet made sense, was the fact that Dick's arm was thrown over Mac's shoulder and he was toying with her fingers. "Oh, shit, I'm awake now!"

He let them in, since, yeah, Dick lived here anyway... And tried to wrap his mind around that. They sat around the table, and he had completely forgotten about coffee. "So, when you went... shopping or... on hot dates... it was... always the same girl, right?"

Dick nodded. It was strange how he was seeking his best friend's approval. But he valued their friendship beyond every thing and felt like it was the same for Logan. "Does Beav know?"

"Pretty much since the beginning." Logan scratched his chin.

Suddenly his eyes widened. "Don't tell me the rumors are true!"

"What rumors?" Mac looked up at Dick.

"You and me at the Grand's bar, grad night. Or you and me at the coffee house."

Dick remained blank, Logan added. "They say the break up was because Mac left Beaver hanging to go with you."

"Fuck." Dick toyed nervously with Mac's fingers.

"Shit, that's true?"

Mac cut in. "No. Not... really." She got up and started pacing. "Let's start with a correction... _he_ dumped me." Logan winced, remembering the reason Dick had given him and Veronica.

"And Dick saw me. Instead of letting me drive home, he bought me a drink."

Dick sighed. "We kinda drank the crappy night out."

"And we did the dumbest thing."

"You slept together." Logan stated.

"No!" she exclaimed.

"Or yes, if you ask Beav." Dick pointed out.

Logan rubbed his face, headache coming back. "Wai-wai-wait. Rewind. Go back to the drinking part. What was the stupidest thing?"

Mac sat on the edge of the couch. "I..we... got revenge."

Logan nodded. "How ?"

"Well, that's when the sleeping together part comes on stage. See, for him, we did it. But we didn't." Mac shook her head, seeing Logan's face. "We kicked him out of the room, locked ourselves in."

"Ohh..."

Dick grinned at Logan. "I figured, my bro's a jackass... get back at him. And we stayed in the room, you know... to make him think." he eyed Mac. "And got... kinda got caught up in the moment."

"I see." Logan huffed. "Well... I get it now. Why you came to live here and all." Mac looked down sheepishly. Logan's face lightened, remembering how quiet Dick had been at the time Mac, Veronica and Wallace had come. "Oh, hence the poker face the other day!"

Mac giggled, and Dick grinned. "Yeah, she's so good." Logan watched them, unsure of what that meant.

"Forget it." Mac whispered to him.

"Happily."

Dick pulled Mac off balance and gathered her on his lap, nuzzling in her neck.

"SHIT! How am I supposed to hide that from Veronica??"

His bff shot him _the_ look. "Dude, you promised."


	4. Cuteness and Bustage

Poker, you game

Day+16

"Hey, why don't we go back to the suite?" Veronica breathed out in Logan's neck. He winced with frustration. They couldn't, he'd promised to give Dick and Mac some 'space' tonight. He had already had a hard time processing it, so... ew.

He caressed Veronica's hair. "I just wanna stay outside tonight."

She watched him, puzzled. They were in his car, making out real hot for a good half hour and he didn't want to... get inside?

"Why don't we take a drive to Dog's Beach?"

Logan cursed inwardly, he didn't want to look like a perv, nor to give his girlfriend the impression that he didn't want her, his arousal said 'duh!' for him. He kissed her, praying. "Okay... What do you want to do there, stud?" He chuckled, brushing her hair off her face.

"Hm... I don't know... I always had that fantasy..." true. "Want me to tell you?" _Oh, fuck, Dick owes me big time. _Veronica raised a brow. He waited for the scoff that didn't come.

Instead she bent down and he felt her mouth in his neck, and couldn't help a sigh. "Why don't you... show me, instead?" She purred softly.

Logan's eyes widened as his neck hair went straight up. _O-kay! _She giggled at his face when he started the engine.

Later that night, he made up his mind and decided that maybe he owed Dick a little too.

Mac opened her mouth and gasped for air. Dick's hot lips on her neck made ever breath she took in very shallow. She grasped at his shoulders and bit her lips to help the moan that still sounded in her throat as a low whimper. "Ah, Mackie..." Dick breathed out against her skin. "You taste _so_..."

She chuckled slightly and met his lips. Her hands roaming under his shirt. "You too." She whispered with a cocky smile.

He grinned and deepened their kiss, hitching her shirt up and caressing her stomach. He looked down, surprised, as Mac pulled away clearly to let him undress her. Not being the kind to pass that kind of offer, he got rid of her tee and bent back to kiss her again, but she put a hand on his chest. "Not so fast, mister." She warned. His chest was shaken by a low laughter when she pulled his shirt off. "Let's level the playing field."

Dick chuckled and leaned back in. God, all this skin against his. He groaned, his left hand trailing up her side while he used the other to hold himself up so that he didn't put too much weigh on her.

They were on the couch and had long forgotten about the TV and the rented movie. _We still watched 'til the end._

Dick grinned against Mac's lips, tugging at her bra. "Well, since you were the one talking about leveling the playing field, I gotta point out an irregularity."

He couldn't see her face, which she had buried in the crook of his neck, but he was sure she was blushing. "Ok, let's make it regular then." She whispered. "We wouldn't want to be caught cheating at poker, would we?"

His cheek flushed with the subtext, he pulled away and looked deep into her eyes. He got so much difficulty forming his sentence that only the end actually came out. "...sure?"

She didn't look scared, she just looked sheepish and trusting, which made his heart jumped most of anything. Trust. He wouldn't have guessed that it would make him feel that way.

"We don't have t-..." Mac cut him with the tip of her fingers on his lips.

"Dick, you stood me up once, I'm not about to let you do it again." She said quietly but firmly.

Dick stared in awe. She'd wanted him, not only in the moment at the Grand, since then too, she hadn't regretted anything. She still wanted him.

"Fuck, you're so hot." He cut her laughter by kissing her. "Don't you dare make fun." He said mock-seriously. "I was being a gentleman. Besides, the power word in 'stood you up' is 'up'." He ground his hips down, pressing his arousal against her core and grinned appreciatively when her breathing caught. "And _up_ I really am."

She surprised him by reaching out for him and pulling him down to her. "Good then."

Day+17

Mac smiled knowingly watching Veronica stare off into space with a dreamy smile and a bush. The scene lasted a few moments, then the young PI sighed over dramatically. "Alright, alright, I might still be in love with him." She admitted.

Mac's eyebrow quirked up. "Oooh, nice information. Here I was just wondering if you loved him _again._ And turns out you never stopped."

She chuckled at Veronica's scowl.

"Come on, girl, that's so cute. You two are so much better together than apart."

Veronica flung herself backwards on the bed and let out a squeal. "Ah, last night was awesome."

"Do tell." Mac ordered.

"We stayed out, because he said he wanted to give Dick some privacy." She went on, missing Mac's blush. "But I think I know why, and it was a great idea. We went to the movies, and got dinner, and he so didn't let me pay for anything. But instead of getting back at the suite we went to Dog's Beach..."

Mac grinned as she trailed off. She didn't need a sketch to know what had probably happened.

"And there were those stars. Oh, geez, Mac, I think I'm a girl."

Mac chuckled. "I'm glad we got that figured out because I had my suspicions too." She stood up. "Well, time's up. I gotta go. See ya later?"

Veronica winked at her. "Sure."

Mac climbed off of her car and almost yelped when Dick pulled her in a shadowy corner of the park, crushing his lips on hers. "Dude, I waited so long!" He said without breaking the kiss.

"I'm early!" Mac protested.

Dick was wearing Bermuda shorts and he realized something when he pulled Mac closer. His knee was brushing hers, so unless she had forgotten to put pants on, it seemed she had opted for short clothing today. He pulled away and looked down between the two of them.

"You actually own skirts?" He asked, honestly bewildered.

She blushed adorably. "Yup. I figured it was hot, and since I'll be with you, no one would say I'm wearing it to get a boyfriend or something."

Dick chuckled. "You totally want to get into my pants."

"Sure." She smiled, putting her hand in his offered one. She was surprised at how nice and boyfriend-like he was around her. She would never have guessed that the guy that used to make fun of her and his brother could be so cute and thoughtful.

They walked along the path between the trees and she revealed in the feeling of his thumb grazing her hand. "So, Veronica liked her evening last night." She informed him.

"Really? Logan said she would find it suspicious that he cleared the suite for the night."

Mac chuckled. "She did. And she thought it was because he wanted to have sex with her at the beach." She explained, getting a grin from Dick. "Or on the beach."

He laughed and pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. After a peaceful moment, he spoke up. "So, I was thinking..." he started. "... we could go to the fair."

Her eyes sparkled. "The fair! Right! I completely forgot about it."

"So, what do you think?"

She pondered. She didn't want to do the guilt trip while being around him and going with Dick to a event that would remind her of her first actual date with Cassidy wasn't probably the best idea.

"I know you like the fair..." Dick piped up. "I,uh... I saw you were having fun."

She squinted up at him. He'd been there to torment her but he'd remembered that was a thing she liked. What the hell? His pleading eyes and expectant expression won her. "Let's go."

"Show me." Mac demanded.

Dick stuck out his tongue. It was green.

"Aha! I must look like an idiot with a tongue that color." She said, considering the slushie they had been sharing.

"Yeah, so you're, like, saying I do, too?"

She smiled. "Nah, you look more like a dick, but..." She patted his arm. "It's ok."

He stuck out his tongue again, and bended down to kiss her nose. "Whatever. You so love me."

She snorted and walked past him. As he fell in step next to her she wondered if he was completely wrong about that. It was probably too soon to talk about love, but she definitely felt something for the guy, even if he was so very different from the 09er he was when he was around others.

"Spooky train?" Dick offered, pointing his thumb at the attraction, a childish light in his eyes.

The ride wasn't what she remembered. She hadn't been in that train for years, since she'd come to comfort her brother and he had been so scared that he had thrown up all over her lap. Or maybe it had just been too much cotton candy.

She knew she was supposed to at least jump from time to time, but she was too wrapped up in making out to remember it. Dick could give very demanding kisses sometimes. Hungry ones, savages ones. But then, he turned around and gave her the sweetest kisses, that instead of making her hot all over and wanting to rip off his clothes, just made her heartbeat race and her knees wobbly.

Thankfully, they were sitting so she didn't have to worry about tripping. She could hardly keep her eyes open when they pulled apart, she was too drunk with the kiss.

"I think I like you a lot, Miss Mackenzie." He whispered, looking at her with the most tender expression.

Suddenly she wasn't that hazy, but her head was spinning because of her soaring pulse. She chuckled like an idiot and kissed him again. "Shit, you got me too." She babbled.

When they got out Mac noticed Dick had a huge grin glued on his face and figured she was probably sporting about the same one. "Hey, want some huge koala bear that's not been taken from the jungle to put in your room to think of me during your lonely nights?" Dick gestured toward a stand. "I kick ass at this stuff."

Mac chuckled. "Alright." She agreed. "Just make sure it doesn't say happy birthday."

He nodded and went over to the stand while she considered buying another slushie. She fished her money in her purse and showed Dick where she was, then looked at the different flavors. She knew what the best ones were but she was searching for another color to experiment on Dick. She looked back and giggled when she heard Dick roar in victory and throw his arms in the air like a kid. She was sure he was only putting on such a show because she was there.

She was tapping her finger on her lips, still trying to make a decision, when she heard someone snorting behind her.

She turned around and saw Madison looking Dick up and down and instantly forgot about him. Sadly, she turned her attention to Mac. "Hey, what's up with the skirt? Think you're pretty now?"

Dick sighed, walking past her. "Hi, Madison."

Mac scowled, she had had enough with that stupid girl. Hanging with Veronica had given her some guts. "Hey, Madison! I don't know why people say you look like a hooker today." She snapped back as Madison spared another look toward the sniggering Dick. _Ok, I need to credit Xander Harris for the line, but her face is still priceless._

Madison fumed and turned red. "What's up with the heels, trying to get your beaver-ex back?" she snarled.

"Actually..." Dick cut as Mac was about to speak. "She got luckier." He said, snaking his arm around her smaller frame.

As Madison's mouth dropped and the girls of her entourage gasped and hid her mouths with their hands, Dick offered Mac something she hadn't noticed, how ever big it was.

An actually fluffy koala bear with huge pleading eyes and a cute little hat.

"Anyway..." He said. "I think Mackie looks hot in this skirt. But I got admit, you..." He paused, and Mac bit her lip. "... really master your Anna Nicole Smith impersonation. Good for you..." he said with a sneer. "Later!"

Mac sniggered and walked away with him, not paying anymore attention to Madison, as Dick kissed her forehead.

She studied her new fluffy goodness. She found it so cute and soft. Almost as soft as Dick's hair. On its belly was written...

"_Merry Christmas_?" She lifted an eyebrow.

Dick pursed his lips. "Well, the 'I wuv you's seemed too mushy, I thought you weren't the pink teddy kind of girl. And ah, I'm your early Christmas present."

She chuckled, rubbing her nose on the soft hair of the fluffy bear. "Alright."

"I mean, you're definitely my Christmas in June." He said.

When she looked up, he was looking away. She smiled and squeezed his hand. He smiled even though he didn't look at her and he was trying not to. He was smiling because he liked her and she liked him back. Something completely new for him, and yet, as scary as it would, he wouldn't have wanted the world if it meant loosing it.

Looking back, Mac watched Madison fuming and shrieking at the girls around her.

Dick met her gaze. "So, we're busted."

She smirked. "Think so."

She let her eyes trail on Madison, who seemed more sad than angry right now. If she remembered correctly, Mac had never seen Dick treat her as nicely as he did her. Or maybe it was just privately, which meant that she would probably get the same treatment when...

Dick was watching her, a pained expression on his face. "And you're sorry about that." He stated, sounding hurt.

Mac shook her head. "No! No." She eyed Madison's direction. "Just thinking about your marvelous relationship with your exes."

Getting why she seemed hesitant, he brought a hand to cup her cheek. "Hey, you're no bitch... I won't ever treat you like that, ok?"

She smiled slightly and they resumed walking. "Besides, I'm not ready for you to be my ex." She smiled. "Like, ever."


	5. Facade Starting To Crack

Poker, you game

Day+18

"So?" Veronica insisted.

Mac rolled on her stomach and her flip flops fell from her feet, hitting the floor of her bedroom with a quiet thump. They were lying on her bed, discussing music. "I'd go for the Sarah Bettens show." She said. "I've liked what she does from K's Choice to now so I know this will be a great concert."

Veronica pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. "Sarah Bettens it is."

She slipped onto her back and texted Wallace to let him know their choice.

Mac went back to her daydreaming.

In a few days would be Veronica's birthday and they were having some kind of surprise party for her. All she knew about the evening was that Mac and her were going to go to a concert. She was texting Wallace in vain, since he was the one setting up the party with Logan, and Keith.

Mac was hoping she wouldn't ask too many people. Even if Keith managed to convince her he had a bail jumper to chase if she asked him, it would be suspicious because everyone knew he would never leave on his daughter's birthday if it wasn't a life or death situation.

Since she had already asked Logan and he had refused, saying he'd rather have her at the suite afterwards, one more refusal would definitely hint her into the whole conspiracy theory.

Mac chewed on her lower lip. She wondered if Dick was going to come. It was less than a week away and she wasn't even sure they'd still be together.

He made it seem that way, but now that the truth had started leaking out, maybe he didn't feel the same about her. Thankfully, Madison and them didn't exist in the same circles so the news hadn't reached Veronica and Wallace yet.

Mac feared their reaction. And Dick's reaction to it. She feared loosing him. She feared falling for him.

But most of all she couldn't stop thinking of every time he held her close to him and trailed butterfly kisses on her neck and whispered sweet things to her. She had to face that she had found everything she had ever dreamed of in the most unsuspected former jackass.

And he was getting under her skin, more and more. And one day or another, she was going to realize she was completely into him, head over heels and entirely at his mercy.

To her utter surprise, she didn't fear that part as much as she had thought she would.

"_I'm gonna poker you?_" Veronica said out loud. "What the hell does that mean??"

It took Mac several seconds to get that Veronica had been reading a text from Dick. Her head snapped to the side and she saw her cell phone in the young PI's hands. "Oh, shit!! Give that back!"

Veronica giggled and hopped down the bed, quickly getting out of catching range for Mac. "Who's _Luvah_ ?"

Mac scrambled up and glared, trying to get to her friend. "Well, that's not Cassidy."

Veronica kept reading out loud. "_Had a grrreat time. Should do it agN._?" She quirked a brow. "Hiding stuff from me?"

Mac huffed. "Obviously. Give that back."

Veronica held up a finger. "Oh, I like this one. _Whatcha doin? M'bored, cum cheer me UP?" _She smirked and grinned at the same time. "Who writes _cum_? And my guess is that _cheering UP_ isn't PG-13, uh?"

Veronica joked as Mac finally snatched her cell phone away from curious hands.

"Mac you're dating someone." Veronica insisted softly.

She caught the slightly haunted look in Mac's eyes when she looked up. She was scared, or she looked suspiciously so. "Maybe." Mac blurted out. "No." She bit her lip. "Maybe."

Seeing her that stressed out, Veronica decided to let it go. She flopped back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "What kind of a dick writes that, anyway?"

From her position, she was oblivious to Mac's wide grin when she hid her cell phone.

Day+19

Mac shifted feet while she waited at the door, she felt very nervous being here but she felt like she had to. Cassidy opened it wide, so like him, without checking who it was before.

His face lost a bit of color when he saw Mac, and he was about to slam the door back in her face when Dick stepped behind her and kept him from it.

Cassidy looked so scared that it made Mac ache for him. He was mad at them, it was obvious, but he was looking at his brother with so much worry that she stepped in before any of the boys could say anything stupid.

She put her had on her former boyfriend's arm and gently tugged him inside with her.

"Look, Cassidy, we came here to apologize. To fix things."

He looked down. "You don't have to apologize, Mac. I was the jerk. I shouldn't have let you go."

She pursed her lips and offered him a tiny smile.

"But I guess you're ok." He said, glancing at Dick who's stayed behind.

"Dude, I'm sorry. I know you're angry with me and probably hate me right now but... I never planned to... I mean..."

Cassidy actually had a bitter chuckle. But he looked amused. "..see her?" He said. "You never planned to care, neither about me or her. And look what you ended up with." He eyed Mac. "I guess that qualifies as your first actual girlfriend since Madison."

Mac watched the two brothers. The younger still looked mad but didn't seem to be willing to make a scene or break them up. Dick looked kind of sheepish. "Sorry, man. I really am."

Cassidy nodded, but said nothing. After a while of awkward glances, Dick jerked his chin toward the front door. He might have often been a jackass to his brother, but he knew when he needed some time alone.

As they walked outside, he heard his voice calling back after him softly. "Take good care of her, Dick. She's the best kind." And he glanced back at his brother.

Oh, things weren't settled between them and he wasn't going to come back to the mansion, but Cassidy was giving him the beginning of a word that he felt he could use. Mac was another way he was getting it.

Forgiveness.


	6. Fallout

Day+20

Day+20

Veronica was looking pensively up at the ceiling, and Logan was gruffly admitting to himself that he still didn't have the ability to read her mind. He reached out for a strand of her hair to roll between his fingers.

"What are you thinking about, bobcat?"

"Hm?" Veronica's blue eyes met his and she smiled. "Oh, just.. Mac's seeing someone, and I wanna know who."

Logan almost choked at her words, and he knew she couldn't miss the way his face paled.

Veronica's jaw dropped. "Is that you?!" She said, propping herself on her elbows and pushing herself up on the couch where they had been lying.

"No!!" Logan exclaimed. "Hey, I love you!" He said, quelling the panic in her eyes. "How could you think that?" he pulled her in his arms, still feeling the urge to tell her but being true to his word.

"Who is it, then?"

He shrugged, cursing himself inwardly. "Dunno."

Veronica's face being in the crook of his neck, she couldn't read his eyes, and he was thankful for that because she could have said he was lying. He felt her smirk against his shoulder but she let it go.

Logan breathed out deeply, getting back at watching TV in the Mars household, thinking of his bff and his new girl. He hoped Veronica wouldn't want to come up with him at the Grand. He couldn't dodge that one more time.

Mac's lips parted slowly to allow Dick entrance and they both sighed in bliss when their tongue tangled and danced together. His hand was softly caressing her bare shoulder and he was convinced that as soon as her breasts wouldn't be pressed against his chest he would get a huge feeling of loss.

They were exchanging the most gentle kiss, enjoying the afterglow. His breathing was slowly returning back to normal. Threading his fingers in her hair, Dick pouted. "You really really have to go?"

She smiled at him sweetly. "Really really." She whispered. "I have to watch my brother while my parents go out. They'll kill me if I'm late." She frowned. "I also gotta call Veronica when I get home because I think I lost my cell phone at her place." She hoped it was accidental and Veronica wasn't scoping all Luvah's text messages.

He pouted one more time. "Alright. But you gotta give me more sugar so I won't go depressed without you until tonight."

Mac chuckled softly and kissed him, his strong arm pulling her flush against him. When they pulled apart, dick looked around his bedroom. "So, I'm guessing we need to throw a research party to find your clothes, eh? Mommy and daddy would ask question if you came home naked."

Mac laughed. "Yeah, let's try and avoid the awkward discussion."

When they got out of the room, fifteen minutes later, Mac was pulling down the hem of her shirt and Dick was still wearing only his boxers. It was the time Logan came back. "Hey, guys." He greeted.

Mac smiled at him. "Hi Logan, I'm going." She placed a kiss on Dick's lips and walked out.

"Hi, Mac. Bye, Mac." Logan said softly, staring after her. "Hope this wasn't about me."

His bff shook his head. "She's running late. I'm such a chick magnet." He said proudly. "See ya, I'm hitting the shower."

Logan chuckled softly and plopped down on the couch. He was happy for his best friend. Dick was clearly happier than ever. Logan didn't remember when he'd seen such a lively flame in his eyes. Even before Cassidy and the whole Grad Night thing, Dick had always over partied and had too much fun because he was bored with his life.

Logan got that because he'd felt that too. Thankfully he'd known Veronica. Now Dick had Mac, and he just hoped they wouldn't be _as _epic as Veronica and him.

He looked around when a vibration caught his attention. Dick's cell was slowly turning in circles on the coffee table. He peeked at the call ID. _Macaroni_. Mac had probably forgot something, or the two of them were way more into the other than he ever thought.

He picked up. "Hello?" He was about to tell Mac that Dick was in the shower and he'll call her back in a sec, but his whole back was suddenly cover with a cold sweat as he heard the tone of the voice at the other end of the line.

"Hi, Logan." Veronica said coldly.

"Veronica! Veronica, wait!!" Too late, she had hung up.

She could have checked the number attached to the contact Luvah, but apparently she hadn't since she knew Logan's phone number by heart. So either she hadn't and therefore hadn't recognized this wasn't his number, or she had, and hadn't recognized Dick's number and figured Logan had another cell phone for his other girlfriend.

This was crazy, she should have known, but with all she'd seen and gone through, he admitted that it was no real surprise.

He took a deep breath to calm his mounting sense of hysteria and scrolled down Dick's contact list. He had tried to call Veronica back but she wasn't answering either Mac's phone or hers.

_Macalicious, home._ Logan's lips quirked up and he copied the number on his cell screen and hit dial.

"_Hello?_"

"Hi, buddy. Is Mac around?" Logan asked, figuring he was talking to the little Mackenzie.

"_Cindyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!"_ Ryan bellowed and Logan winced, pulling the phone away from his ear.

"_Hello?"_

"Mac this has to stop. Veronica thinks you're dating me."

Veronica huffed as she heard manly knocks on her door. She didn't want to see Logan right now. She felt betrayed and was so scared that there wasn't a rational explanation and he was just by to say he was sorry but that Mac was a great girl and didn't have that much quirks and that he had fallen for her.

"I'm not leaving, Veronica. I know you're in there."

On her bed, Veronica's head snapped up. This wasn't Logan's voice.

She made her way to the living room, getting Backup, just in case. Why would Dick come by? To play match maker between her and Logan?

She opened her door. Before she could speak, Dick did. "Where's Mac's phone."

She looked at him in surprise.

"Where is it?" He insisted. He didn't make a move to step in when she backed away and got the cell.

"Call Luvah." He ordered. She squinted up at him. "Dammit, Veronica Mars, for once do what you're told!"

She hit redial, and Dick fished his buzzing cell off his pocket. "Oh, Macaroni calling." He looked at her in the eye. "Get it now?" He almost hissed. He was definitely looking pissed. She wondered why.

"I don't believe it." She simply stated. Logan and him could just have set it up.

He shrugged. "Like I care." He held out a hand. "I just want the phone back so I can call my girl later tonight."

He snatched Mac's belonging off Veronica's hand and started walking away, before turning back toward her. "I just want you to know that you're an idiot." He said. "And that my best bud is miserable because he's taking the fall when we just asked him to keep our secret until Mac was ready to tell you." He hissed. "You see, Veronica Mars, you're so judgmental that your friends don't even know how to talk to you." He snapped. "I know you kick ass, Ronnie. But that's no excuse."

With that he grabbed the door's handle and slammed it himself in her face.


	7. Birthday Girl

Day+20

Day+24

"I'm so sorry." Veronica said again, and Mac shook her head.

"It's no big deal. I swear." She said softly. "It's your birthday, don't think about that. We all agreed that it was forgotten about."

Veronica pursed her lips and looked away. "Alright."

"So, uh... I have something to show you." Mac said as they walked down the street to their cars. They had just exited Sarah Betten's concert and they had had a blast.

Veronica looked curious when Mac held up a key. "What is that?"

Mac smiled mysteriously and walked up to a hangar door. "Well, I was told it fitted that lock." Her mischievous smile widened when she pulled the door up and behind it a group of people yelled 'Surprise!!'.

Veronica laughed and ran into her father's arms. Logan stood there too, and she kissed him eagerly. "A surprise party! That's so sweet." She looked frustrated. "I didn't even see it coming."

"That's the point, sweetie." Keith assured her.

She hugged Wallace, who stood dumbfounded as he watched Dick pull Mac in the sweetest greeting kiss. "Don't ask." She breathed out with a roll of eyes.

Later, when she was almost done with the piece of cake in her plate, Veronica walked over to Dick. "Hey, Luvah boy." She said.

Dick looked at her with a questioning gaze. He could see she was hesitant, which meant he'd struck a nerve.

She chewed on her lip a second and waved her hand at his t shirt. He was wearing a green Tee with the inscription. _Private Dick._

"Like the shirt, Dick. You think they have woman sizes?"

He chuckled and sent a bright smile her way. "I'll look." He told her with a wink.

She walked back to her boyfriend. Just like that, Mac noted, just like that they'd called it a truce and it felt stronger than a handshake. She called after Veronica. "Veronica Mars! What's that line about the beginning of some sort of friendship??"

The young PI smirked in response, but still sniggered along.

Later that night, as they were all leaving and getting back home, Wallace finally dared to ask Mac the question he'd been dying to hear her answer. "So, uh, since when has this been going on?"

Dick shrugged a shoulder. "Pretty much six or seven hours after my stupid brother dumped her. Again."

"Oh."

Mac grinned as she saw Wallace try to process it and wrap his mind around a concept clearly strange to him.

She wrapped her arm around Dick's waist and looked at both Veronica and Wallace. "Sorry I couldn't tell you before. I really wasn't sure of anything. Still aren't, actually. But here..." She winked at Veronica. "This is the _dick_ that writes that kind of stuff."

Veronica laughed and hugged her. "Thanks for the party. See ya tomorrow."

Dick was looking down at Mac with a frown. "What do you mean you're not sure of anything? You're my girl, dammit! My official one and only."

She chuckled, clearly touched. "Amen." She breathed out before kissing him gently on the lips.

"Oha... Ah..." Veronica said. "Ok. This is going to take some time getting used to, so, if you don't mind, shoo!" She said waving them away. "I wouldn't survive a visual right now."

Mac sent her a warm smile full of thankfulness and Veronica felt stupidly proud of herself for being so merciful. Maybe Dick deserved it. Maybe it was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

She smirked and shook her head in amusement when she heard that since the visual wasn't in order, Dick would rather have a sensual as soon as they got to the suite. She smiled when she heard Mac laugh.


End file.
